


Fathoms Below

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, F/F, Mermaids, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 04:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20465276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: The daughter of King Valentine, Clary feels trapped by the constraints of her royal life in the seven seas.  She seeks out the help of a sea witch who might be able to offer her the freedom and excitement she desperately craves.





	Fathoms Below

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> **Prompt:** Painting by Ian Rayer Smith.
> 
> **Week 7:** Underwater Meeting
> 
> _Admin, please do not include in voting_

Life under the sea was  _ boring _ . Clary craved excitement, something her monarch father cruelly denied her. King Valentine ruled the seven seas with an iron fist and ran his family the same way. Clary and Jonathan were expected to fall in line, to live as examples to the rest of the kingdom. Jonathan thrived under the rules as heir apparent. He loved being adored and admired, soaked up all the attention that was given to him.

Clary, on the other hand, hated the way everyone stared at her wherever she went. Unlike her brother, she stood out with her brilliant red hair and emerald tail, and she hated it. To escape the pressures of her father and her station, Clary took long swims away from Alicante, seeking out the mundane shipwrecks and anything else that was normally forbidden to her.

Everyone in Alicante knew the rumors of a sea witch who lived in the trenches outside Alicante. A woman who had forsaken a life chosen for her and lived the way she chose, helping others do the same. Clary wanted to meet her, needed to know if a life like that was possible for her as well. 

Her search for the sea witch took Clary farther from home than she’d ever been, to the New York trench which was dark and more than a little frightening. Still, Clary was the daughter of the king and not one to back down, even when afraid. The glow of a cave drew her closer and Clary slipped inside, her heart racing. “Hello?” she called.

“Enter,” came a voice from deeper inside and Clary persevered, surprised when she came to a cavern bathed in soft green light. Even more surprising was the beautiful woman in the center of the room. Her long brown hair flowed out away from her head, drawing Clary’s eyes to her face and away from her tail. 

Or where her tail should be. 

Every Alicantian knew that only fishtails were allowed in the city but that others existed. Clary heard whispers of shark tails and whale tails. Never before had she heard of anything like the witch in front of her. Instead of a tail, she had six purple tentacles that were so dark they were almost black. They moved like her hair, giving her the appearance of constant motion, even when still. 

She was beautiful. Captivating. Bewitching.

“And who are you?”

“My name is Clary, daughter of Valentine of the ancient kingdom of Alicante.” She closed her eyes and asked a question that could change her entire life. “And I was wondering if I could learn from you?”

The sea witch smiled which made her even more enchanting. “Of course, Clary, if you’re willing to forsake your life in Alicante for it.” Clary nodded, eager for a life of her own, and the witch smiled brighter, “I’m Isabelle. Welcome to New York.”

Gorgeous, intelligent, and exciting? Clary’s heart didn’t stand a chance. “When do we start?”

**Author's Note:**

> So, if Clary is Ariel and Isabelle is Ursula, does that make Alec and Jace Flotsam and Jetsam? Simon would be Flounder? Magnus...Sebastian? The possibilities are endless.


End file.
